Many Paths to Honor
by Anthrax Pretzels
Summary: A series of in-betweens of the members of Eliwood's Army, young and old. Usually gen, will indicate pairings if needed. For her first time aboard a ship, Lady Lyndis of Caelin did not find herself faring half as bad as she had assumed, Kent/Lyn
1. Blades

When he had agreed (reluctantly) to teach the boy, Karel had considered Guy's weaknesses.

The youth was too soft, too naïve, too much of a scrap of a man to wield a sword. As honed as his skills had the potential to be, the Sacaean had none of the true fervor that a swordsman should have had. He had not tasted enough blood.

Karel made this particularly clear under his tutelage, resulting in Guy's hands as a mess of calluses and welts from being corrected so often during practice bouts.

Which was not to say that he had no potential to improve, with time and training. Watching the young man that called himself his pupil approach a rough dummy carved of wood, Karel expressionlessly glanced at it.

Before he blinked, the man-shaped oaken lumps bore three clean cuts, made by Guy's blade.

"His vital spots have been hit, albeit roughly. Good." Karel muttered, still fixed to his spot.

He did not realize that it was the first compliment he had given the boy until he heard a soft_ thump_, felt arms around him, and realized his student had given him a hug, in the fast frenzy of success.

A sheepishly grinning and retreating Guy met his chilled gaze.

Karel slid his Wo Dao back into its scabbard.

"We continue. I expect that maneuver repeated, and perfected. You have only begun to learn of the sword, boy."


	2. Fast Friends

Wil was hurt. Not terribly badly, but a gash to the arm that had hurt his aim? Not a great situation to be in while flanked by axemen. Trying to dash into some nearby brush, the Pharean archer dabbed at his forearm with care not to spill too much blood onto the ground. The blotches of red dripping from the wound would be a tell-tale sign of which way he was heading, after all. Even a novice fighter could find him if he allowed himself to be guided by his instincts to flee immediately.

If this had been a mercenary Pegasus knight hired by the bandits, then Wil might have been in trouble. However, the small blue reigns were unmistakably one of their allies', fluttering in the wind as the horse descended.

"Wil?"

It was Florina, who dismounted from her Pegasus, looking concerned. She looked...different from the shy, quiet girl at camp that couldn't look him in the eye.

"Y-you're hurt. What happened?"

"A stray hand axe, I guess." The brown-haired archer smiled sheepishly, trying to distract himself from the pain with conversation. "And I'm a little low on vulneraries. Would you happen to have one on ya?"

"Huey used my last drops for a leg sprain, sorry..." Florina frowned. "B-but...I can carry you to Serra. She'll know what to do."

"Are you sure?" He turned back to look at three axemen approaching. With Florina only equipped with a slim lance and his bow useless for the moment, this was going to be a risky escape.

"A pegasus knight never leaves an ally behind," said Florina. "I...I cannot leave you here!" With that, she began to help him onto Huey, already scanning the skies for the fastest route back to camp.

Later, Wil quietly sat in the makeshift infirmary of Lyndis' Legion, watching the soft blue glow of Serra's healing staff as she intently stared at the wound. To the side stood Florina, looking relieved as she nursed a cut of her own, retained on the way back.

"I'm really sorry about that. Weighing you down so we couldn't go that fast..." Wil started.

"D-don't be," She replied, a small smile on her face. "I was very happy to help you, regardless of what it costs."

And in a tiny, quiet voice, Florina added. "That's what f..friends are for, right, Wil?"


	3. Puzzles

For her first time aboard a ship, Lady Lyndis of Caelin did not find herself faring half as bad as she had assumed. She had always thought herself a rather balanced fighter, even with the wobbly foundation that was the deck factored into her swordplay. A successful spar with Guy earlier in the day had affirmed her possession of 'sea legs', as Captain Fargus put it.

As night fell and Lord Eliwood's army prepared to rest aboard the ship, Lyndis found herself patrolling the decks, sword at her hip, listening vaguely to Sain's laughable attempts at learning a few drinking songs from the Pirates.

The sea-wind, she found, was of a different sort than the gusts and breezes of Sacae. It shook and pounded the sails of the ship, sliding heavy barrels of water and cargo across the deck with no more effort than a flick of an invisible wrist.

As she turned a corner on the starboard side of the deck, she spotted a familiar face near the ship's Item Shop. Kent, sitting on a crate and still fully clad in his armor, was fiddling with something in his hands. After a day of helping the Pirates load weaponry and supplies on the ship, he was graciously given a little free time.

"Good evening, Lady Lyndis," he stood upon first sight of her, bowing formally. The very sight was a rather silly gesture, given their location. Sain's off-key singing could be heard through the walls of a cabin somewhere.

In Old Etruria there lived a maid, mark ye what I say…

"Good evening, Kent," she replied cheerily, taking a seat next to him, finding it refreshing that even he had found a little time to spare. "What, may I ask, is in your hands? You seem very focused on it."

"A knot-game, milady." He held the small object out for her to see: a length of rope with a confusing-looking knot in the center. "The Captain's First mate handed it to me as we loaded supplies. It is quite the puzzling game. I have yet to make heads or tails of it."

"Really?" She observed curiously, staring at the knot. "May I give it a try?" A childhood of tangled tent-knots had prepared Lyndis well for such puzzles.

"You know I will not refuse your orders," the rope changed hands, as Lyn began to fiddle with the rope, examining it from an angle to see if she could figure it out better. Loosening an area of the knot, her quick fingers had almost solved the puzzle.

The ship suddenly jolted to the side, swaying as the wind grew strong. From the upper deck of the ship, a few sailors scrambled up to adjust the sails and check the conditions of the skies. Kent found one of his hands tied to Lyn's, as the wind had pushed them together against the side of the bench where they sat. A faint flush crept up his face, which he tried, with every ounce of strength he possessed, to get rid of.

"Ah, this seems to be a bit of a predicament, Kent," the Lady of Caelin laughed softly, taking a knife from her belt. "I suppose we will never know how this knot is untied, then, will we?" With one precise cut, she freed their hands from the rope and handed the pieces back to the knight.

"I…suppose not, milady." Looking at the small knot of feelings he possessed, Kent found that her words rang true.


End file.
